Ambassador Hardeep Puri was part of a Gateway House Agenda 2014 panel discussion on India’s Foreign Policy agenda for the coming years on Google Hangout.
In part-two of a two-part interview, Ambassador Puri speaks to Gateway House about India’s position on United Nations Security Council Reform, the role of multilateral platforms in India’s Foreign Policy, and the role of Think Tanks in Policy Making in India.
Highlights:
Multilateral System’s and India’s Foreign Policy:
Every aspect of India’s development and external relations finds resonance in the multilateral system. For example climate change affects food production, issues of flooding etc. Climate negotiations restart soon in Germany. The Multilateral system is both complementary to and can strengthen your developmental efforts domestically.
UN Security Council Reform:
Events in Libya, Syria and Ukraine have brought the disunity of the P-5 to the forefront. The Security Council needs to be restructures and expanded. The Council composition has to bring about countries like India.
In order for this to happen India must shed its aversion to risk and table a draft on an agreement that Security Council Reform is necessary.
Think Tanks in India:
Public Diplomacy is a crying need for a country like India. The IFS is too small and you need think tanks like Gateway House in order for them to do some burden sharing and do some cutting edge research. India’s think tanks are new, need to mature and must be encouraged.
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